I have a peculiar central heating problem. Ever since turning up the thermostat valve on my bathroom radiator, the boiler kicks in and heats it up, even if both the central heating and hot water are off at the timer switch.
Can anyone suggest a possible reason for this? Is this normal? I have never had this happen in any other place I have lived.
Thanks for your help!
2006-10-24 03:34:48 · 13 answers · asked by Jowie 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Thanks for all the great answers. How can I possibly choose just one? Anyway, some more info:
The boiler is a Potterton Suprima 40. I'm guessing this is gas condensing?
One other thing, with the radiator on, the boiler kicks in. I'm guessing if the radiator was being fed just from the hot water tank then it wouldn't be firing up the boiler?
2006-10-24 04:51:06 · update #1
Ignorring a wiring fault, with both the HW and CH turned off at the programmer, the only way the boiler will fire is if a frost stat has been fitted which will override all other controls. It is possible that the frost stat has been inadvertently turned up.
A wiring fault that some timed occurs is when the switched supply to the boiler via the motorised valve is taken from the switched side of the programmer. This will sometimes cause latching of the MV, causing the system to run when the programmer indicates off. Test for this by turning off HW & CH, wait 2-3 minutes and then isolate the programmer from the supply and listen to see if the MV runs back.
2006-10-24 04:00:09 · answer #1 · answered by Clive 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the boiler is off, you need to find the source of the heat. The only other source of hot water in the house is the immersion.
It could be that water is being circulated by an auiliary pump through the immersion to the radiator in the bath. Of course this assumes you have indirect heating of the immersion as well as electric. I.e., when the boiler comes on it also heats the hot water (immersion) tank.
Check for another pump somewhere. There has to be a logical explanation.
2006-10-24 10:51:06 · answer #2 · answered by Munster 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I asked this question from my land lord as I was experiencing the same problem and he is a qualified Heating engineer..
his answer was that the Rad in the bathroom (which is closest to the boiler) has been connected through the hot water system rather than the central heating so it works with the hot water system and gives an indication if there is a problem in the hot water system..
2006-10-24 10:47:23 · answer #3 · answered by Laz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's almost certainly gravity fed from your hot water cylinder, this is so that you can have the luxury of warm dry towels throughout the year without having to turn on your CH. It should not be hot if your cylinder is cold, unless it is plumbed onto a completely separate circuit from the boiler, which I doubt very much. The radiator will have to be made from copper, brass or specially treated steel otherwise you will get rust or discolouration in your hot water. It's done fairly often by request, maybe 1in 20 systems have this facility, the down side is that it 'uses' your stored hot water by radiation, depends on the size/output of the rad.
2006-10-24 11:38:37 · answer #4 · answered by jayktee96 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might have something to do with how close the boiler is to the rad in the bathroom the water should still be hot for the hot water so it may just be simply that the hot water is seeping through enough heat to heat that rad only but get it checked out anyway just in-case its something else.
2006-10-24 10:39:35 · answer #5 · answered by inspector9320 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
could be convection heat from when you've had the hot water on. Often bathroom rads are permanently on to allow for some heat dissapation in case you put the boiler on full and turn all the rads off.
Sometimes a lock shield / loop is fitted instead.
2006-10-24 10:45:39 · answer #6 · answered by Michael H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
without actually knowing what kind of system u have,,, if you live in a home or an apt,if it is a gravity system or has a circulator on it, if it has zone valves on no zone valves, the best information that I could give you is ,,, if there is a valve next to the floor,,, try to close it some and regulate how much water goes thru the radiator, and try to get it so the bathroom does not overheat.
2006-10-24 11:21:34 · answer #7 · answered by Bob G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If its a fairly old system it may be gravity fed - meaning it works on gravity rather than being pumped round and it still heats with the system off . My upstairs rads also heat on their own and can only be operated by turning the individual valves off. These sytems our out of date now and all systems have to be fully pumped now when replaced. xx
2006-10-24 10:40:27 · answer #8 · answered by starlet108 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its really odd isn't it? i have the same thing with the radiator in my hall - i turned the general thermostat (the one on the wall) right down and that seemed to work - but probably not a great solution if u want to have your heating on in other rooms, plus u have to remember to turn up the thermostat when u put heating on.
sorry - not much help, really..
2006-10-24 10:39:29 · answer #9 · answered by third space 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its sumthing 2 do with your hot water tank when thats on so is the radiator my hot water is always on so i turn my rad off in the summer good luck
2006-10-24 10:47:23 · answer #10 · answered by hayley m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋